The present invention relates to waste processing systems, and more specifically to a safety and control device, system, and methods thereof for a waste processing system.
A variety of machines have been developed to recycle, reduce, or otherwise process wood and brush products. Included therein are machines that chip, cut, grind, or otherwise reduce waste (wood) products including, generally, chippers (disk and drum types), hammer mills, hogs, shredders, grinders, and forestry mowers.
These waste processing systems typically include an infeed system and a waste reducing system, wherein the infeed system is used for directing the waste material to the waste reducing system, the waste reducing system being used for reducing the waste material. Examples of such waste processing machines are disclosed in: U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,912, issued Apr. 11, 2000, entitled “Break-Away Processing Tool For A Waste Processing Machine”; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,863,003 and 6,299,082; issued Jan. 26, 1999 and Oct. 9, 2001, respectively; all to Smith; and entitled “Waste Processing Machine”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,210 issued May 9, 2000 to Smith, entitled “Rotor Assembly For A Waste Processing Machine”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,020, issued Feb. 11, 2003 to Smith, entitled “Replaceable Raker Assembly For Processing Tool Of Waste Processing Machine”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,082, issued Oct. 9, 2001 to Smith, entitled “Waste Processing Machine”; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,845,931, 7,121,485, 7,384,011, and 7,726,594; issued Jan. 25, 2005, Oct. 17, 2006, Jun. 10, 2008, and Jun. 1, 2010, respectively; all to Smith; and entitled “Multi-Functional Tool Assembly For Processing Tool of Waste Processing Machine”; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,166, issued Jan. 16, 2007 to Smith, entitled “Rotatable Assembly For Machines”, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
It is also known to provide a wood chipper for chipping wood such as brush, branches, and the like to produce wood chips. An example of such a wood chipper is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,539, issued Nov. 23, 1999 to Morey, and entitled “Wood Chipper With Infeed Chute Safety Device” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In these known systems, the wood chipper generally includes an infeed assembly, feed wheel assembly, and a cutting assembly having a rotatable disc or drum with at least one knife or blade for chipping the wood entering the wood chipper and reducing it to wood chips. The chipper also includes a discharge chute for allowing the wood chips to exit the wood chipper, as well as for generally directing them during discharge. Typically, the feed wheel assembly includes: a stationary lower feed wheel, connected to a lower housing; a movable upper feed wheel, connected to an upper housing, and movable relative to the lower housing for allowing wood to enter the cutting assembly. The wood chipper also includes an engine connected to a hydraulic pump, which pumps fluid to drive hydraulic motors to rotate the feed wheels.
Other examples of such wood chippers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,707, issued Mar. 7, 2000 to Morey et al., entitled “Drum Assembly For A Wood Chipper”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,125, issued Mar. 14, 2000 to Morey et al., entitled “Wood Chipper”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,539, issued Nov. 23, 1999 to Morey, entitled “Wood Chipper With Infeed Chute Safety Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,642, issued Dec. 14, 1999 to Morey, entitled “Wood Chipper With Infeed Chute Safety Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,596, issued Apr. 20, 2004 to Morey, entitled “Multiple Wheel Feed Wheel Assembly For A Wood Chipper”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,684, issued Mar. 19, 2002 to Morey, entitled “Adjustable Tension Feed Wheel Assembly For A Wood Chipper”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,204, issued Dec. 14, 2004 to Morey, entitled “Reversing Automatic Feed Wheel Assembly For A Wood Chipper”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,320, issued Nov. 9, 2004 to Morey et al., entitled “Reversing Automatic Feed Wheel Assembly For Wood Chipper, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Further, these waste processing systems will generally include a feed control bar which is typically mounted above the infeed chute on a chipper. Generally speaking, these controls bars are multi-positional bars that control the operation of the feed wheels in a forward direction when in a first position, a reverse direction when in a third position, and a neutral or off state when in a second position, wherein the second position is usually disposed between the first and third positions. It is also typical for these bars to be normally biased to the neutral or off state (e.g., the second position), thereby requiring the operator to manually maintain the control bar in the first and third positions, whereby when released the control bar will automatically return to the second position and the feed wheels will be made non-operable.
However, although these types of waste processing systems are useful, in order for these devices to be able to effectuate the reduction of bulk wood products, the systems and machinery used, if operated incorrectly, can be dangerous. For example, the feed system is design to aggressively feed the cutting system, and the cutting system to aggressively reduce the bulk wood products. And, while great care is taken to house and shield these systems, as well as the numerous safety systems, devices and procedures being provided which increase the safety of these machines, these machines can still be dangerous when operated incorrectly and proper safety procedures are not followed.
These safety improvements include devices, systems, and procedures which prevent or otherwise reduce the risks of injury, as for example when these systems are improperly used, and include various shut-offs, pull cords, operational safety bars, and the like. However, as the safety features and procedures of these machines can be improperly used, and while the operator is ultimately responsible for safe operation thereof, the industry desires further safety systems, devices, and procedures in order to still further increase the safety of these machines.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a safety device, system, and method for a waste processing system, including a feed wheel control system that reduces or prevents the risks associated with these prior art waste processing machines. It is also desirable to provide a safety device for a waste processing system that is relatively inexpensive to produce; is easily operable and maintained; is reliable; and can be retrofitted on or to existing waste processing machines in order to help make existing machines safer, as well as being relatively easy to assemble thereto. It is also desirable to provide systems, practices, and methods which increase safety and otherwise establish or promote the safe operation of these waste processing machines. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a safety device, system, and method for a waste processing system that overcomes the above-identified disadvantages.
Accordingly, a need exists for novel systems and methods which have, among other advantages, the ability to provide for increased safety while being simple to operate, reliable, easily maintained, and cost effective; which increase safety and otherwise establish and promote the safe operation of these waste processing machines; and are retrofitted so as to be able to be installed, relatively easily, on existing waste processing machines and wood chippers, thereby allowing an aftermarket option for increasing the safety of existing machines. Therefore, systems and methods that solve the aforementioned disadvantages and having the aforementioned advantages are desired.